LATIN and GREEK ROOTS in CHEMICAL TERMINOLOGY GERALD R. BEEZER Seattle College, Seattle, Washington
I
N AN address delivered a t the Williams Memorial, Cornell University, April 23, 1937, Armin 0. Leuschner of the University of California remarked, "Not only did the founders (of Sigma Xi) get their
letters and motto from classical men, hut ever since, science has used the Latin and Greek language as its mode of expression in designating its fields of endeavor, and within the fields, their subjects of study and the
contents of its body of learning, such as astronomy, geology, genetics, and so forth. The scientific student is often a t sea as to the meaning of words flung a t him in lectures or printed in books. The professor of science is as a rule unable to give the derivations of the technical terms which he uses. We speak of the dead languages, but it is the scientist that keeps them alive, chiefly because of the clearness with which he may express himself with the use of words of Greek and Latin roots."' To help the chemist, whether professor or student, become a better etymologist and thus remedy the situation above referred to, the following list of Latin and Greek roots has been compiled. It is by no means complete, but i t is believed that those roots most frequently used have been incorporated. Exercise in the use of the table will quickly render one proficient in the analysis of complex chemical terms which are encountered in the literature and have been synthesized from the simpler words of the ancient classics. Thumbing of an unabridged dictionary will convince anyone that modern scientific terminology is founded almost exclusively upon the Latin and Greek languages. To increase the lenibilitv and simplifv the tvuomaphic .work, Greek chara'kk Cave beenAtr&sliterated. The letters L and G indicate Latin and Greek origin, reSpectivdy.
-
Root aacetaciculan&actinadipadsorp-
G aceturn L adcula L a-ehromos G aktis G a-
aluminamphoamygdalamyl-
adeps adsorbeo
L
aitia dbus alliurn allos
G L L G
alumen ampho
L G
anthoanti-
amydala amylum ana anthos anti
aqua argentargon asteratomauroautoauxobarbathobibiobrevium brom-
aqua argentum argon aster atomos aurum autos augeo hams bathos bis bias hrevis homos
811-
'sa,i
Meaning
Source
L
L
L G G G L
L G G G L G L G G L G L G
without vinegar little needle colorless ray fat draw towards cause white garlic ditTepnt, other r alum diierent, . other an almond starch UP flower opposite, against water silver inactive star undivided gold self to increase heavy deep twice life short stench
Xi Quarterly. 25, 2, 70 (1937).
Examples amorphous acetic acicular acro6dextrin actinium adipic, adipose
Root cacodylcadaveaes-
caesium calcium dorcapill-
& casecathCelest
-chore chrom-
ch'ysocitrdest -clinic cOagulatcalloidcanchoidconocosmo. createroceo-
chrysos citrus klastein clino coacturn kolla concha conos kasmos kreas crmeus
cetchalcochlor-
L
L L L L L L
G
allotropic aluminum
decadeaepit-
cyta-
desmodeuterdextrodidiabatic
desmos deuteros dater dis diabaino
.
ditrigondodecdulcidynamdysprosefflores-
dadeka dulds dynamis dysprositos efflorescere
emanare emanaten-, endo- en, endo enaniios enantioen-zyme wym-
,---..
Examples cacodylic cadaverine caesium caesium calcium, calcite calorie, calorimeter capillary capric, caproic carbon, carbide casein cathode, cation destite centimeter cephatin cerebrosides cetyl chalcopyrite chlorine, chlorophyll cholic, cholesterol ismhore, paraehor dicbromic, chromium
.in~lnm A.-.~,.L--.I
L
deliquesdendron de-
down
hundred head L brain L whale G brass greenish yellow G bile G volume G color
kuklos cytos deka de-crepare
dendrdes-
Meaning ill-smelling corpse sky-blue bluish-my lime heat hair goat coal cheese
L
morcryo-tocuprcyancyclo-
spn- and anti- forn aqueous argenticyanide argon asterism atomic aurous, aurin auta-oxidation auaochrome barium, barometer hathochrome hisulfate biochemistry brevium bromine
G
kata celestis centum cephate cerebrum ~ete chalkos chloros chole chore chmmos
adsorption aetioporphyrin albumen alliaceous
amphoteric amygdalin amylodextrin anode anthocyans
Source kakodes cadaver caesius caesius c a ~ calor capillus caper earbo caseus
citron tree G to break G to lean dripen together G glue L shell-like cone world meat saffronyellow blood cold, frost hidden copper deep blue circle cell. hpllow ten to creak, rattle to became fluid, melt tree indicates privation abond second right twice to go through twice threecornered twelve Sweet power, force hard to get a t to blossom, bloom to flow out within, inside opposite in yeast
citric ~roteoclastic triclinic coagulation colloidal canchoidal canoscope microcosmic creatine aoceo-salt cruorin cryoscopic cryptocrystaUine cupric. copper cyanide, hemmyanin heterocyclic cytachrame decahydrate decrepitation deliquescent dendritic desoxybemm desmotropism deuterium dextrose dichromate adiabatic ditrigonal dodecane dulcitol thermodynamics dysprosium efflorescent emanation endothermic manliomorphic
enzymic
Root eos-
-eresis erythroeuexfolistex-
Sourcc eos aireo erythros eu ex, folium ex fero ferrum flum flaws floccus fluere furfur Gallii genao
Meaning dawn t o draw red G well, easily G out, leaf L outside, out G of L.G t o carry . iron L thread L yellow L flock of wool L to flow L G G
L L . G
glu@)eohaloheliohemihemoheptahetero-
glukos hals helios hemi haima hepta heteros
G G
hexahippohistohomchordehydrohygrohypo-
hex hippos histion homos hordeum hudor hygros hypo
G G G G L G G G
indium infraintumesciodohidisokinetkryptonkynlaclamelllanthan-
L Indium infra L intumescere L iodes G iris G isos G kinesis G kryptos G kynos G lac L lamina L lanthanein G
leucolevolignlipolithium lumin lutecium -1ytic -lysis macromalmallemelanmd-mer mesometabolmicromimetmolecule monomordmorphmuta-
leukos hews lignum lipos Lithos lumen lutetia
G G G G
G
G L L G
G L L
bran France to produce, make sweet salt the sun a half blood seven other, different
sir
Exampkx
Root
eosin syneresis erythrodextrin eutectic exfoliation
neonnephelonitrononaEta-ode oleosmium oxypectpentpepsperpetrphaners. -phile phlogiston -phobe phorphosphoto-phyll phytoplcrlc piezo-
new G a cloud L native soda L ninth L, G eight G road L oil G smell G bitter, acidic OXUS pektos G congealed pente G five pepsis G digestion perL excess, more netra L rock G t o be visible G t o love phileo to set on fire phlogisteo G phobia G fear fera L, G to carry
exothermic argentiferous ferrocyanide filiiorm flava-salt flocculent fluaresceuce, fluorine furfural Gallium iouogen, hydrogen glucose, glycogen halogen, halide helium hemihydrate hemocyanin heptane, heptose heterocyclic hemhydrobenzene hippuric histidine homologous hordein hydrate, hydrogen hygroscopic
hoke tissue same barley water wet, moist under, lower than indigo-blue beneath swell up violetlike rainbow similar a moving hidden dog milk plate ' t o be concealed white left wood fat stone light Paris
la&hanum leuco-base levdose, l-form lignocellulose lipoid, lipolytic lithium luminescence lutecium hydrolytic. -1ysis
hypochlorous Indium iufra-red intumescence iodine iridium, iridescent isotope, isomorphic kinetic krypton kynureuic lactose, lactic lamellar
lrro
G
decompose
makros malum malleus melas me1 meros
mesas
G L L G L G G
metabole mikros mimesis molecula monos mordeo morphe muto
G G L G L G L
large macroanalysis apple malic hammer malleable black melanin honey mellitic a part isomer, tautomer middle mesonalic alter metabolic small microanalysis imitation mimetic a small body molecule one, single monobasic bite, eat into mordant form isomorphic change mutarotation
G
Source. neos nephele nitnun nonus octo hodos oleum osme
ExompIer
Mcnning
0
.
neon nephelometry nitrogen nonane octane anode, cathcde oleic ormium oxygen pectin pentoxide peptize, pepsin perchloric netroleum phanerocrystalline lyophilic phlogiston lyophobic cataphoresis
phos
G
light
pbyllon
G G
pikros peizeiu
G G
pinacopiperpleoplumbporpbyrpotential
pinakopiper pleioplumhum porphva potentia
G L G L
leaf chlorophyll plant pbytosterols bitterpicric to exert pressure piemchemistry mirror image pinacol pepper piperazine many, more pleochroism a leadenball plumbite purple hematoporphyrin Dower ootential
won
G
L
praeseo-
prasios
kk-green
proteopseudopulverpycnoPFOquantum quaternracemyenreticrhodium rubs&sarcosclerodensemisesqui-
proteos pseudos pulvis puknos pur quantum quater racernus renes rete rhodon ruber salix sarkos skleros selene semisesqui-
silicsolut-. solvsphenoidstalact-
silex solutum solvens sphen stalaktos
stannstereo-
stannum stereos
sterostibstriatsuccinsucrsuper syn-
stear stibium stria succinum sucrum super syn
original false dust dense fire -* how k u c h four times cluster kidneys net a rose red willow of flesh hard moon half one and a half a flinb dissolved dissolving a wedge oozing in drops tin volume, space tallow antimony furrow amber sugar above with, on same side to put together
syn, tithemi
photosynthesis
{'praseodymium praeseo-salt
proteolytic pseudo-alums pulverulent pycnometer pyrophosphate quantum mechanics quaternary racemic adrenalin reticulated rhodium bilirubin, rubidium salicylic sarcosine scleroprotein selenium, selenide semihydrate sesquioxide silicon, silicate solution solvent sphenoidal stalactite stannic stereochemistry stearic stibine striated succinic sucrose superphosphate syn- and anti- form synthetic
66 Root tautotecttellurtertetrathallium thalpthermo thiothixotapa-
tritribotroptruncultra undecunivitrxanthoxenon
Source tautos teko tellus ter twares thallos thalpos thermos theios thixis topos tres triho trepo tmucatus ultra undecim unus vitrum vanthos xenw
G G L L
G G G G
G G G
L G G
L L
L L L G G
Meaning same melt earth three times four green twig heat, warmth heat sulfui touch place, arrangement three rub turn. change cut off beyond eleven one glass yellow stranger
Ezampks tautomeric eutectic tellurium terchloride tetroxide thallium enthalpy thermoluminescence thiosulfate thixotropic isotope trimethylamine triholuminescence allotropic truncated ultraviolet undecane univalent vitreous xanthoproteic xenon
Prefixes employed by the chemist to designate the numbers of atoms or radicals in a molecule, the number of molecules of water of crystallization, and so forth, are all taken literally .from the Latin or Greek. I t would well pay any student of chemistry to commit to memory the lower numerals: Latin unus duo tres quattuor quinque sex septem act0 novem decem
Greek eis duo tres tessares pente hex hepta okto ennea deka
Letters of the Greek alphabet are employed by chemists, physicists, and mathematicians. Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Epsilon Zeta Eta Theta Iota Kappa Lambda Mu
a
A
0
B
7
r
6 r
A E
f
Z H
s B
e
n
I K
X u
A
M
Nu Xi Omicron Pi Rho Sigma Tau Upsilon Phi Chi Psi Omega
v
5 a r P o
r
N Z 0 U
P Z T
u P
T
x 9
X W
u
Q
9,
The use of the terms ortho, meta, and para to designate the ~ositionsof elements or m o u ~ sin disubstituted benzene is purely convention2, asbrtho and para both signify alongside of. More exactly, an interchange of the two terms would better preserve their original meaning, for primarily para means alongside of and ortho, straight. Meta signifies in the midst of or between, and is hence properly used to designate the position between ortho and para. Whether ortho and $ara were chosen well or poorly, it is not ours to question; it has always been the privilege of the discoverer to name his find as he pleases. In his Ars poetua, Horace has well said that the builders of a language give to its words the meaning, we are a t liberty to do so, for not even the time-honored words of a language are immutable: ". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cadentque guae nunc sunt in honore nrocabrila, si volet wus, puem penes ar&trium est et jus et norma loguendi." (Lines 70-72)
